Becoming a Pontipee
by Mandi96
Summary: A Seven Brides for Seven Brothers fic. Dorcas's POV during the movie. *EDIT* When I first published this story, I didn't realize that I had two of the girl's names mixed up. I will be re-posting them correctly, as well as tidying and editing each chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place during the movie. It's Dorcas' point of view. Since nothing is spoken of Dorcas' background (or any of the others, for that matter) I made up a background for her.**

**I'm hoping that this story will make sense to everyone, even if they haven't seen the movie.**

**A/N 2: I must apologize. When I started writing this fanfic, I had the names of Ruth and Sarah mixed up! I don't know how it happened, but I realized this while I was re-watching the movie the other day in order to continue writing. I meant the right girl, but for some reason I thought that Sarah's name was Ruth and that Ruth's name was Sarah.**

**So, I'm going to be re-uploading every chapter, revised. I'm also going to take this opportunity to alter the chapters a bit. Don't worry; the main points will stay the same. Thanks in advance for your patience.**

**-7-**

_I have been living in this town for 3 months now, and this was the first time I'd heard about the Pontipees. And boy did I hear about them…_

**-7-**

"Girls, the quiltin' bee is in two days, and I hardly have enough fabric to make an apron, let alone a quilt." Ruth said disappointedly as she looked into her bag of scrap fabric.

Sarah, Liza, Ruth and I were sitting in Sarah's parlour having tea when the subject was brought up. This immediately dampened the mood considerably. We had been looking forward to the bee, and had all been saving as much fabric as we could spare.

"Gee, I hate to tell all the girls it'll be cancelled." Ruth sighed, "It would have been so much fun, too."

"Are you sure we don't have enough?" Martha asked. "I mean, surely we must have enough if we combine all of our material?"

"I know I don't have much to contribute. We only had enough fabric this season to make one new dress each, and even then we had to be very careful." I sighed and folded my hands together. Sometimes I missed living in the city.

Pa had moved west a few months ago, bringing us all with him. I was torn: excited about settling a new territory and helping to create a new land. The other part of me was scared of what would happen. It was, after all, unsettled country, wild and yet to be tamed. My fears were assuaged when I saw the town. It was quaint, and I fell in love with it.

My other fears, the ones of not fitting in and not being welcomed by the other girls were put to rest as well. There were hardly any girls in the town, and they all welcomed me with open arms.

It's a hard life out here, but I'm finding that I enjoy it. There are some definite disadvantages, though. _Why, in the city, all I'd have to do would be to go to the store and ask if they had any leftover material..._

"Girls! Why don't we go ask Mrs. Bixby if she has any extra material that we could use?" I interrupted.

"Dorcas, that's a wonderful idea, why didn't we think of it before?" Sarah said excitedly. "Come on girls; let's get over there right away!"

**-7-**

We walked as fast as we could over to the Mercantile and entered the store, engulfing Mrs. Bixby.

"We're havin' a quiltin' bee." Ruth started excitedly.

"We thought you might have some odds and ends," Martha finished quickly.

"I'll see," Mrs. Bixby smiled as she went behind the counted and started poking around under the counters.

We all watched her eagerly until our ears caught the sound of a man talking. I looked up and my eyes widened. He was the first man that I'd ever seen dressed in buckskins. He walked over and I looked at him interestedly. He was tall and well-built: the very image of a backwoodsman. He had fiery red hair and a beard to match, his blue eyes were piercing.

"Pay him no mind, girls." Mrs. Bixby said firmly as she laid some bolts of cloth on the counter.

I looked down at the floor. _Is it considered polite to talk to a stranger? Back east we never engage with someone we haven't been introduced to. Do the same rules apply here? What do I do? I'll play it safe and wait to see what the others girls do._

"Fred, put his things in the wagon, don't keep him waiting." The good lady motioned to her husband.

"Oh I'm in no hurry," the large, powerful man said. "I got all afternoon."

"Well you're wasting your time," Mrs. Bixby said bluntly. "There's not a girl in this town to marry you."

At this, I couldn't help looking up at the man. _So that's why he's over here and acting so strangely. I must say this is a strange way to go about courting a girl. Is this some strange custom that I don't know about?_ His eye caught mine and I quickly looked down again.

"I haven't set my mind to something yet, but what I got." He boasted and I raised my head, choosing to fix my eyes on Mrs Bixby's apron. _The nerve of that man._ I thought angrily. _To think that he can just show up and get what he wants_.

"Whether it's ploughin' twenty acres in a day or droppin' a tree within an inch of where I want it." _Impressive, but a real man wouldn't boast about it so much._

"I'm here today to get me a wife. I don't mean to go home empty-handed." I could feel him looking at me appraisingly. _Like I was a hunk of meat!_

"You're all pretty and fresh and young." I couldn't help but smile at the compliment. _Maybe he isn't half bad..._ "I'll keep ya in mind. But I aint deciding on nothing until I look 'em all over." With that he turned and walked out of the mercantile.

"The nerve of that man," Ruth huffed, her pride hurt.

"I've never met a more unpleasant man in my life." Sarah frowned and turned back to Mrs. Bixby. "Now about that material..."

**-7-**

_We returned to Sarah's and during the ensuing conversation, I found out every piece of information that was known about the Pontipees. It wasn't much: just that there were seven of them and they all lived several miles out of town. It wasn't long before we were talking about other matters and the Pontipees were far from our minds._

**-7-**


	2. Chapter 2

_Milly was gone: married! I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it from Alice, but apparently it was true. She'd gone and married Adam Pontipee, the same backwoodsman who'd boasted about always getting what he set out to get._

**-7-**

Milly was only two years older than I, yet she seemed a lot older than that. She was the person who made the first move to befriend me. While all the other girls hung back that first Sunday, Milly marched right up and introduced herself to us. Her wide smile instantly reassured me and I knew that I would have at least one friend in the town.

It was Milly who introduced me to the other girls, and the seven of us made quite a lively bunch. Soon it got to be that the six of us were hardly ever seen without at least one of the others. Milly, being alone and a boarder, often had to work, though she made it to our gatherings as often as she could and usually was the voice of reason to us girls.

It took us a while to adjust to our loss. Milly had been like a second mother to us all. It wasn't until a few days later that I saw her again…

**-7-**

"Dorcas, Dorcas!" My little sister Maggie yelled, rushing into the parlour where I was doing some embroidery on my new dress.

"For Heaven's sake, what's the matter Maggie? Did Mrs. Johnson's son pull your hair again?" Marty Johnson was notorious for making fun of the girls; he was the bane of my sister's life, or so she would have me believe. Secretly, I knew she enjoyed it.

"Nope, Milly's back and doin' some shoppin' at the General Store." Maggie said as she sat down on the sofa beside me.

"Really?" I got up excitedly.

"Yup, came in a few minutes ago. She brought them Pontipee brothers with her." Maggie yelled after me.

I barely heard her as I threw my shawl over my shoulders and rushed out the door. I quickly walked to the General store, arriving on the boardwalk just in time to see that a fight was in progress.

I stood, unsure of what to do. They were fighting right in front of the mercantile door. I couldn't just walk up to where they were fighting. So I stood and watched, waiting for them to be finished before coming any closer.

From what I could see, it was three of our boys against one Pontipee brother. _Well that's hardly fair now, is it? I mean three against one…_ my thought trailed off as I realized that the one Pontipee was holding his own.

The minister had spoken often against violence, and I knew that it was despicable. Yet as I watched, I couldn't help admiring the sheer power that the Pontipee was displaying. From the look on his face he seemed to be enjoying himself, and almost playing with the other ones. I gasped as he knocked one of our boys right into the mercantile window.

A few seconds later Milly came barrelling out the door, calling to the others to stop him. The other brothers made no move, so she grabbed the fighter by his shirt and yelled for him to stop. Three punches later the boys were out cold, draped over the railing like pieces of cloth.

"It's stopped," the man said proudly as he looked at the three boys.

"You get in that wagon," Milly hissed, eyes narrowed. "Get!"

He obeyed, hopping into the wagon easily, looking confused. Milly turned around and headed back into the store, taking what looked to be the youngest back in with her. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that someone half their size held such power over them.

I decided that now probably wasn't the best time to talk with her. Besides, it didn't feel right without the other girls with me. Especially since she now had her brothers with her. It wouldn't look proper at all. A few moments later they came out of the store again, her basket and his arms full of packages. She climbed into the wagon and they set off, all of them quiet.

I couldn't help but look at the brothers as they passed me. One of them met my gaze and my eyes dropped. When I looked up again shyly, his gaze was still on me. It was the fighter. I turned and walked back to my house, looking back once to make sure that the wagon was gone and out of sight.

"Did you talk to her?" Maggie asked me when I got home again. I shook my head in the negative and she frowned. "I miss Milly; she always used to give me candy in church. Now I'll have to get my candy from Old Lady Myrtle." She wrinkled her nose in disgust and I laughed. I sat back down on the sofa and picked up my work again. All afternoon I worked on the dress, I wanted it to be perfect for the barn-raising next week. Every once in a while I caught my thoughts drifting back to that afternoon, and a pair of deep brown eyes gleaming beneath fiery red hair.


	3. Chapter 3

I sighed as I looked into the mirror for the fifth time. _Was I right to get the purple gingham? Or would the blue have been better? Does it look tacky with the apron? Oh well, it's too late now._

"Dorcas!" Maggie yelled as she ran into my room.

"Margaret Ann Gailen, how many times must I tell you to knock before barging into a room? What if I had been in a state of undress?" I said indignantly.

"T'wouldn't matter. No one was outside the door 'cept me." Maggie said cheekily. "Anyways, Ma wants you to come quick. She says the barns gonna be done raised before we get there."

I sighed. "Maggie, I know you can speak proper English. Why do you persist in using slang? It sounds awful." I grabbed my hat and hurried out the door. I climbed into the wagon, Maggie scrambling after me.

"All ready?" Pa asked as he started the wagon.

"This is the first barn-raisin' we'll have gone to in this town. Aren't you excited Dorcas? After all, young George Straither will be there, and so will Joe Miller, and-"

"Joe Miller is interested in Martha, Ma." I said quietly, knowing that she wouldn't hear me. She prattled on all the way to the barn-raising.

**-7-**

We were a very large group, the six of us girls and seven or eight young men as well. George Straither was standing next to me and kept trying to catch my attention by telling me some of his accomplishments. I nodded and smiled, trying to be polite. _Why do I feel like some sort of prize to be won?_

All of a sudden we heard the sound of an approaching wagon. We turned to see who it was, but all we could make out was a bunch of men in brightly coloured shirts.

"Who're they?" I said, squinting to see. "I don't recall ever seeing them before?" As soon as the words left my mouth my eyes widened. It was the Pontipees, the same ones that I'd seen a few weeks earlier. I could hear the others talking in the background as I tried to work things out in my brain. And then I caught another glimpse of _him._ I couldn't help but smile. They hadn't noticed us yet, they were too busy looking around. It was clear it was the first barn-raising they'd ever been to.

"It's Milly!" Alice cried happily and started to run. I was quickly brought back to the present as Alice tried to break free from Steve Richter.

"Where are you going?" He asked indignantly.

"To see Milly!" She said as she finally broke free.

"I just love Milly," I said as I started to run behind her. We were all running now. I wasn't sure whether it was because of the men, or a genuine happiness to see Milly? I didn't dare stop to examine my heart and motives, and before I knew it we were all crowded around the wagon.

Milly greeted us all and told us how much she'd missed us. It had been almost a whole month since we'd last seen her. I was itching to ask her dozens of questions, as soon as we girls were alone. I looked into the cart and saw a pile of items. Quickly realizing that Milly wouldn't be able to carry it all herself I offered my help.

Adam Pontipee handed me a tray of bread. I took it with a smile and turned to step off the wagon where I was perched.

"I'd be pleasured if you'd allow me." A strong voice caught my ear and I turned to see _him _standing behind me.

"Why thanks," I said with a smile and handed him the tray. I stepped off the wagon and started to walk beside him. We walked silently over to the table. I was confused and unsure of what to do. _Would it be proper to tell him my name or to ask for his? Would it be considered too forward?_

"The table is right over here." I said shyly and I put my hand on his arm to guide him. As soon as we touched I drew back again. _What's the matter with you, Dorcas Gailen?_

"Is this it?" His deep voice broke into my thoughts and I realized we were standing in front of the table.

"Oh yes," I blushed. He put the tray down on the table and we stood there awkwardly. "Thank you very much." I said with a small smile.

"No trouble at all, I assure you." He smiled back at me and I felt my heart stop. _Is this what love feels like? No, it can't be love! I've only known him for a few moments. Dorcas, you're being ridiculous._

I looked up as the others started to approach the table as well. The one in the yellow shirt nodded to me as he set his cake down on the table. Ruth was hanging onto his arm and staring at him as if he was the first man she'd ever seen.

"This is my brother Caleb Miss-" He stopped and laughed. "Why I'm afraid I don't know your name!"

"I'm Dorcas. Dorcas Gailen." I held out my hand tentatively. He took it and shook it gently.

"My name is Benjamin Pontipee, and as I was saying, this here's my brother Caleb."

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," Caleb bowed a little and I blushed. The four of us stood there in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Benjamin was shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking extremely uncomfortable.

My heart went out to him, he looked so completely lost. "I must confess I am rather excited, this is the first barn-raising that I've been to."


	4. Chapter 4

"I must confess I'm rather excited this is the first barn-raising I've ever been to." I said brightly, trying to make some conversation.

"Ours too." Ben smiled at me. _Ben! I only just met him a few minutes ago. He is Mr. Pontipee to me. But, there are seven of them… if I call them all the same that'll be so confusing. Should I call him Mr. Benjamin? That's too formal and sounds queer. I am so confused._

"I saw you in town a while back." I confessed as I half-sat on the table. "I hadn't seen you before. Do you come to town often?"

"Not really. Adam's the one who usually comes in. He knows the most about trading and such. I'm just labour." _And what labour you could provide with those strong arms… Dorcas, stop it! You've only just met the man._

"Oh? Do you – own a farm?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend him. If I called Joe Miller a farmer, he'd never speak to me again. His daddy owned a ranch, and the two professions were fierce rivals. I was still unsure about the difference between the two.

"Well I guess you could call it a farm." He smiled and his eyes got a far-away look in them. I could tell he loved it very much. "It's a farm because we grow wheat. But we've also got livestock, which makes it kind of a ranch. And one of us brothers goes to a little cabin we have way up in the mountain and is responsible for some trapping during the wintertime. We take turns each year. We all do a little bit of hunting and fishing. It's a great life."

"I can tell you love it very much." I said softly. Unbidden, an image came to my mind of Ben, coming home from a long, hard day's work. Entering a little cabin and finding warmth and love inside: with me. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear the image away. _What has gotten into me?_ "So what made you boys decide to come to this little get-together?"

"Milly wanted to come." His eyes softened when he mentioned her, and I could see that he loved her very much. It was obvious that all the brothers did, and looking at him I could see the difference her short stay had already made. This man was different from the man who had easily beaten up three men without breaking a sweat. Although I had no doubts that he could do it again, this man was also gentle and kind. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Dorcas," the strident voice of George Straither came to my ears. "Who's this?"

I turned and saw the tall dark-haired man approach. "Mr. Straither, this is Mr. Benjamin Pontipee." I never liked George Straither, but he seemed to latch onto me the moment I came to town. He was so persistent and I'd given up trying to persuade him to call me by my proper name.

Looking at George Straither's smug smile and odious moustache, I realized that this was a perfect time for revenge. And perhaps a slight warning?

"Ben," I smiled up at him andtook his arm. He stiffened at my touch, but relaxed at my smile. "This is Mr. George Straither." His gaze shifted from me to the man in front of us and it hardened.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Ben held out his hand and gripped the other man's. I could see George Straither's knuckles turn white from the enormous amount of pressure that Ben was obviously giving. I tried to conceal my smile at the power-play between them. I felt a little thrill go down my spine seeing the two at odds over me.

"I'm sure." George Straither gasped out as they released each other. "What I came over here for was to remind you, Dorcas, that you promised me the first dance."

"I did? Oh right. Yes of course Mr. Straither, if you would be so kind as to come and get me when the time comes?" I had completely forgotten the promise that I had made. It had happened before; I would agree to something just to get him to stop nagging me.

"Of course. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten." He narrowed his eyes and looked at Ben.

"Of course I hadn't. Mr. Straither, it looks like Mr. Miller is trying to get your attention." I gestured to the young man who was opposite the barn floor which we'd be using to dance on.

"Ah yes, well I'll be back when the music starts playing. Until then _ma cherie._" He took my hand and kissed the back of it before turning away to run across the floor.

"Is he allowed to do that?" Ben asked, his deep voice containing a tone that I couldn't quite place.

"No." I turned to Ben, trying to judge how much I should tell him. He stood there quietly, waiting for me to continue. I decided to throw caution to the wind and be honest. "He's been proposing to me for the past month. I can't stand him."

"So why don't you tell him to get lost?" Ben asked, genuinely confused.

"I have! He just doesn't get the message." I said with a wry smile. "Do you dance, Mr. Pontipee?"

"Please call me Ben, Miss Gailen. There are seven of us Pontipees floating around here, and I wouldn't want them stealing you away from me." His grin was wide and easy, and I felt my heartbeat slow.

"Alright, Ben. But you must call me Dorcas." He took my hand in his and I held my breath.

Until the music started to play.


	5. Chapter 5

I looked up at the dance floor, my heart sinking. I looked at Ben, not wanting to let go of his hand. The next thing I knew George Straither had taken my hand away and was pulling me up the stairs. I had to run to keep up. I looked back for a second at Ben, and he was showing an expression of consternation and, was it sorrow? I tore my eyes away as I quickly got into position.

I heard the strains of the music begin to play the introduction. I squared my shoulders and closed my eyes, letting the music wash over me. Back east, my father made me take dance lessons, and my teacher said I was the best in the class. The dancing out here was different: the moves were the same but it was wilder, free, and open and… wonderful.

I glanced over and saw that the Pontipees had climbed up on the platform and were watching us. I felt a pang of pity as I realized they must not know what to do. If this was their first barn-raising, how would they know about dancing?

I gathered my apron up in my hands and focused my gaze back on my partner. No matter how he may act, he is a terrific dancer. There are few things I enjoy as much as I do dancing. When the time came to start the dance, there was a huge smile on my face.

I could feel someone staring at me. I hoped it was Ben. I stole a glance as we promenaded, but he wasn't in my line of sight. As we whirled around to walk the other direction, I saw him. He _was_ staring at me. I gave him a small smile but his expression remained grim.

I turned my head and went back to the dance, determined to ignore him. George Straither was holding me close, closer than I liked. I pushed him back and he got the message, although that smug smirk was still on his face. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he was pressing again.

I closed my eyes and focused. The music and the dance was all I needed. _Forget about Ben standing behind you. Forget that George Straither is a louse. Just dance._ I opened my eyes and smiled at George Straither.

As he spun me out, the smile was still on my face as I looked out and saw Ben. My smile faltered. He was still frowning.

I could see out of the corner of my eye that three of the girls had broken off and were dancing with some of the brothers. I looked up at George Straither, at the smirk on his face and how I wished that I could do so too.

The next thing I knew I was grabbed from behind, twirled around and I found myself in Ben's arms. My smile came back, so wide that my cheeks hurts. _We fit together._ My heart leapt and pounded.

I closed my eyes and danced in Ben's arms. When I opened my eyes he was smiling. The dance became more difficult and I could see that Ben was slightly behind, his movements shuffle-y and not precise.

Then all of a sudden, George Straither was there in front of me, cutting me off from Ben. He took my hand and whirled me away. As we danced in a circle I could see the brothers together in a group, obviously miffed.

I saw one of the Pontipees advance towards Sarah and her partner, an angry look in his eyes. All of a sudden Milly burst onto the floor and was shaking her finger at him, leading the brothers to the side.

We all stopped dancing to watch. I watched the man in the red shirt dance with Milly, and I swayed to the music. Waltzes were fun, and I knew the steps perfectly, but nothing could ever give me a rush like this. I imagined Ben twirling and lifting me like that.

The music changed, two other brothers displaying their dancing prowess now. It had turned into a battle of sorts: the Pontipees versus the town boys.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Ben. He had a proud look on his face, but he was standing solidly, hands resting on his belt buckle. He showed no sign that he would participate in this dance.

Before I had a chance to realize what was happening, the action had moved off the dance floor to the area where the building supplies were being worked on.

I followed the rest of the girls slowly, hanging back until Ben had passed me. I stood, slightly apart from the other girls, knowing Ben was only a few feet away

I was concentrating, on their movements and how they fit to the music perfectly. It was like it had been planned out beforehand, and I smiled at the thought. The music changed again and I found myself again in Ben's arms, heading back towards the dance floor, when all of a sudden, we stopped. The brother in the purple shirt bumped into George Straither. I froze as I saw him make a fist and start to bring it up. George Straither was ready with a little smirk on his face. The brother stopped, opened his fist and offered it to George Straither. I smiled again. We were having such a wonderful time; it would be a shame if a fight broke out.

Then they were up on the boards, having some sort of an arm wrestle. I never knew George Straither was so strong. I watched as the one in the purple shirt went down. Then Caleb was up there, giving it a try.

"Come on Caleb!" I shouted; glad to be able to participate. Caleb was the only one I knew besides Ben. I gave a moan of disappointment as he fell too.

"Take 'em Frank." Ben yelled as the one in the red shirt jumped up. "You can do it." It was a tense moment, and the moment was shattered by Frank's triumphant win. I cheered loudly and looked at Ben, who was looking at me with a huge smile on his face.

"Frank's the strongest of us all." Ben said as he watched his brother with pride.

I nodded eagerly and kept my eyes fixed on the 'battle'. The five of them started a routine and I felt myself being pulled away by George Straither. And then we were back on the dance floor, spinning and whirling. I was lifted into the air, and I couldn't help but wonder how high Ben could lift me.

We stopped spinning and started the final curtsies. The pause came and I knew what I was going to do. I ran over to Ben and jumped into his arms. He didn't move a muscle and I shifted a little so that I could have a better hold on him.

I didn't want him to let me go, but when the others were put down he gently lowered me to the floor. "Thank you." I said softly.

"Any time."

**A/N: I hope I did an okay job with this. At first I wasn't going to describe the dance at all, but then I was watching the scene and I thought "How can I NOT?"**


	6. Chapter 6

He led me off the stage; my hand was still in his. We wandered away from the rest of the group.

"So, are you enjoying yourself so far, Ben?" I blushed as I said his name. There was an intimacy about using first names, and it meant that the person was close to you. Close in a way that other men could never be.

"I've never had such a good time in my life. Well, there was the time that we tied Gideon up and… well you wouldn't want to hear about that." He looked away and leaned against the fence.

"Sure I would. Tell me, please." I asked as I hopped up onto the fence and looked down at him.

"Well, Gideon…"

"Wait, which one is that?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, guess I should point everybody out so that you won't get confused. Well, that there is Gideon, in the blue shirt." Ben turned around and leaned his back on the fence and pointed lazily.

"He's talking to Alice. He seems like a nice boy."

"He is and we all love him to death. He's the youngest and it's our job to make sure that he grows up tough and able to handle himself. He's the most like our mother." Ben got quiet suddenly.

"Were you close to your mother?" I asked softly, not wanting to hurt him.

"Yeah. The others can hardly remember her, but I do. She was so gentle, yet so strong. I was very close to her. Adam had always been more like father, and when mother died I knew that it would be hard to fill the void. Since she died we've never had a woman in the house since. Not until Milly came."

"You boys love Milly very much. I can tell that." I looked over and Milly who was slapping Adam's hand away from the food.

"She's great. We never really knew what we were missing until Milly came and reminded us." The tone in his voice was sad and thoughtful.

"So who are your other brothers?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Well, you've already met Caleb. Who's the gal he's with?"

"Oh that's Ruth. She's a dreamer, always reading books about princesses and knights in shining armour."

"Sounds like she'd fit Caleb to a T." Ben chuckled. "He's the dreamer of our family too."

"And is that Frank there with Sarah? The one in the red shirt?"

"That's right. He's the muscles, and he's also the one on whom the red hair fits the best. He's got a temper problem. Just don't ever call him by his full name." Ben chuckled.

"His full name?"

"Frankincense." Ben looked at me with laughter in his eyes.

"Frankincense? Why?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Mother wanted us to have Bible names. She was a great one for the Bible. Frankincense was the only one she could think of that started with an F."

"Why F?"

"That was Dad's idea. A B C D E F G, so that he could keep all of us in order. Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank and Gideon."

"So Daniel and Ephraim must be the purple and turquoise shirts, right?"

"That's right. They're twins, though you wouldn't know it to look at them. Dan is purple and Ephraim is that blue-green. Don't tell them I told you, though. They like to keep people guessing."

I gave a little laugh. "They'll never hear it from me."

"And who're they with?"

"Oh, that's Liza and Martha. Liza's an orphan who was adopted by Martha's parents. The two are practically inseparable. Hey, it looks like they're gonna start the raising."

I started to jump down off the fence, but found that instead I was floating. Ben had taken me by the waist and was lifting me down. "Thanks." I said breathlessly.

"No problem." He smiled again as I took his arm and we started to walk back towards the group. "So why are we raising this thing anyways?"

"Oh, well Henry Higgins just moved here a year ago with his wife and family. He's got two of the sweetest daughters you've ever seen. Anyways, last week a wolf got into their yard and spooked the chickens, who flew into the barn and spooked the cow, who kicked a ladder and caused the lantern to fall and set the barn on fire. Luckily they were able to get all their livestock out in time." We joined the group of brothers and Pete Perkins started to talk. He was the town mayor and prided himself on being at the centre of every function.

"Neighbours, neighbours can I have your attention? All you folk that've come from far and wide; Henry here wants me to thank you all for coming to help him raise his barn."

"Thanks folks." Henry rasped out.

"And he thanks the ladies for all the fancy vittles they brought." We all clapped, and I laughed at Gideon's little bow.

"Now since a barn has four sides, there's gonna be four teams. The team that gets their side up first wins the little heifer. Henry, show'em Annabelle."

I laughed along with the crowd when I saw the animal. I had been here long enough to be able to appreciate the gesture and the fineness of the animal.

"Now get your teams set up, neighbours, and we'll see who wins the little lady."

"Adam we could use her around the farm." Milly said, looking up at Adam pleadingly. He smiled at her a bit and then gave in.

"How about it boys?"

I looked up at Ben and saw him gravely nod. I grabbed his arm excitedly and turned with the rest.

"Mr. Perkins," Adam called up to the man. "You can put the seven of us brothers down for one team. Milly says she's taken a fancy to Annabelle." His deep voice was smooth and easy; the voice of a man with confidence.

"You hear, boys?" Mr. Perkins called out. "That was Adam Pontipee. Last time he came to town he bragged how he always got what he set out to get. And danged if he didn't; he's a hard one to beat I'm warning you."

"Don't worry," George Straither said with a smirk.

"We'll handle him." Joe Miller chimed in.

Mr. Perkins grinned at the team of young men. "That's the spirit."

"We've got a team all set up here, Pete." Mr. Jebsen, Ruth's father, called out.

"And here's your fourth, Pete." Another man called out.

"That's fine. You got your hammers and all?" At their loud shout he went on. "Then take your positions. The sooner you raise the barn, the sooner you get your vittles."

I turned to Ben and whispered "good luck" to him, and he smiled again. Then he was gone over to the wall and they started the competition.


	7. Chapter 7

Well it was over. The lovely barn that had almost been finished was in ruins; even the floor was all scratched and marked up. I watched the whole thing with tears in my eyes. The wall was still up on our side so we could only see flashes of colour, the horrible shouts and the occasional men running across the roof. I looked over at Milly, who was openly crying.

"Milly, what's wrong honey?" I said as I reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just that they promised me there'd be no fighting. Just as I thought I'd gotten them all to behave they go and pull a stunt like this. And Gideon too!" Another tear went down Milly's face and I longed to pull her into a hug.

"It isn't their fault. Not really." Sarah spoke up.

"We all saw what was happening." Ruth said mournfully.

"They threw a hammer at Ben!" I said indignantly, ignoring the sly looks the girls gave me as I used his proper name.

"I know that. And I know that Gideon only went after one of them because of Adam." Milly gave a rueful smile. "Gideon worships Adam." Her smile slipped from her face. "But they promised me."

"They were trying, we could see that." Martha said.

"Well, I guess you can't make silk purses out of sow's ears." Milly sighed.

"Don't give up, Milly." I pleaded. "You've already done so much. They all love you so much."

Milly gave me an odd look. "Why do you say that, Dorcas?"

I blushed, not wanting to reveal what Ben had confided in me. "It's just a feeling that I have."

Our attention was caught by a huge crack as the barn doors came down with a crash. In the center of the square, the Pontipee brothers stood victorious. I stood up with the rest of the girls and we all flew to the men who were hurt.

I rushed over to Pa and knelt down next to him. He was groaning and a huge bruise was forming on his cheek. I hoped the bone wasn't broken. I looked up and caught Ben's eye.

He had the grace to look slightly ashamed as Milly grabbed Adam and dragged the brothers over to the wagon. She got them all in and went to apologize to Mr. Higgins.

I helped my father to stand and almost collapsed at the weight. Mother was busy getting the horses ready; I knew she'd want to get Pa home. Together we stumbled towards the wagon. I helped him get up and climbed in the back. Mother was holding the reins firmly.

"Now, Dorcas. See what trouble those Pontipee brothers are?" Mother said as she started the wagon.

"But Mother, it wasn't-" She cut me off.

"Be quiet, Dorcas. Now I saw you ignore that nice George Straither and attend to one of them. Now you know what kind of people they are. I don't want you to ever bring them up again. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mother." I said dutifully as our wagon passed the Pontipees. Ben stood in the back, at least a head taller than all of the rest. Our eyes caught as we passed by, but I quickly lowered mine to my Pa who was resting beside me. I looked up again and his eyes were still on me. They were full of sorrow and regret, but there was also a tinge of pride in them. I looked away and didn't look back.

**-7-**

As the months passed, I slowly forgot about the Pontipee brothers. Except for whenever I saw someone with a black eye, sore arm. Then I remembered the power that lay in his muscles.

And of course, whenever I saw that exact russet shade that matched his hair and his eyes…

And don't even speak to me about the colour orange.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: since there were no ages mentioned in the movie, I'm going to assign some. Hopefully I won't be too off base. And remember: in those days girls married young.**

**Gideon: 19**

**Alice: 18**

**Frank: 21**

**Sarah: 18**

**Ephraim: 22**

**Martha: 19**

**Daniel: 22**

**Liza: 20**

**Caleb: 24**

**Ruth: 20**

**Benjamin: 27**

**Dorcas: 21**

**Adam: 30**

**Milly: 23**

**-7-**

Soon the snow began to fall. With the snow came new chores and new responsibilities. I spent most of my time at home, helping my mother get the house ready for winter. We cleaned the house from top to bottom, getting everything in order. We re-organized every cupboard and every room. To preserve the heat and firewood, Maggie moved into my room and we shared a bed and each other's warmth. I hardly ever got to see the girls anymore.

Mother kept us on a very strict schedule. I didn't remember her being so strict when we were back east. She made us go to bed as soon as it got dark, never mind that I was 21 and a grown woman. _Which is probably why she's so anxious to get me married off, _I sighed as I changed into my nightgown, the thin flannel hardly protecting me against the cold. I shivered as I turned out the lamp and rushed over to the bed, blowing out the second candle. I felt my way to the window in the dark to close it when all of a sudden I was enveloped in something dark and fuzzy.

I felt myself being lifted forcibly up through the window and across the roof of the veranda. Then I was floating, still wrapped in darkness. We landed safely on the ground, and I started to struggle.

_Am I being kidnapped? Why? What's happening?_ I screamed as loud as I could. I pushed as hard as I could. I kicked as hard as I could. It was no use.

But I wouldn't give up. _Someone _must_ be able to hear me through this blanket. _ Soon I could faintly make out the sounds of other noises. I stopped screaming for a second and listened. I started again when I realized that the sounds were the muffled screams of others.

I felt myself being lifted again and again I was falling. Not as far this time, and I soon hit something hard, something _moving._ Then we were moving.

"Ha, Ha!" I heard someone yelling. I could feel the hoof beats and the rumbling of a sleigh.

_Enough of this, _I decided and threw the blanket back. If I was going to be kidnapped, I wanted to know who it was.

I was startled to find myself looking into the eyes of Benjamin Pontipee. My own eyes widened and I took a quick look around. When I saw and heard the screams of the other girls my heart sank.

I looked back at Benjamin and he was grinning at me; his white, even teeth shining in the semi-darkness. For the first time I felt scared in his presence. I screamed.

A part of my brain knew it would be useless; the other part couldn't help itself. Maybe there was someone in the woods who would hear us and help. Maybe that person would have a sleigh. And just maybe that person would happen to have that sleigh all fitted up and ready to give chase. Yeah. Right.

My screams faded as a new sensation overtook me. Coldness. I was dressed only in my flannel nightgown. It was perfectly fine for inside a house under several quilts. It was almost useless in the open, cold November air.

I started to shiver. I wrapped the blanket around me and curled up into a ball. The blanket helped, but not much.

Ben grabbed me and pulled me out of the blanket and into his arms. "No, let me go!" I yelled. It was warmer to be near him, but I couldn't stand to touch him. I struggled, but it was useless. He was too strong. I'd imagined being in Ben's arms before, but not like this.

The tears started to leak from my eyes and I sobbed.

"Get them to stop that yelling, we're coming to the pass! Keep quite now or we'll have an avalanche down on us." Adam Pontipee yelled. I couldn't see him, but it must have been him.

I'd only been in town less than a year, but I'd already heard much about the dreaded pass. Ben put his hand firmly over my mouth, not knowing that I couldn't scream anymore. My voice was gone and all I could do was cry.

**-7-**

We were stopping. I could vaguely make out the frame of a small cabin. Ben got out of the sleigh and picked me up, setting me down on the ground. I was grateful I had chosen to wear socks to bed that night. Otherwise my feet would have been completely frozen. Being numb was bad enough. A light shone out from the cabin and the door opened. I looked up and saw Milly.

I almost ran up the stairs and onto the rough wooden porch, my feet were glad to be out of the cold snow. The girls surrounded Milly, each one trying to explain what had happened. I couldn't talk; my teeth were making too much noise.

I wrapped the blanket closer around me. I hardly knew what was going on; I only heard snatches of the conversation.

"…at once, y'hear?" "…wait 'til spring…" laughter "...your idea…" "…Sobbin' Women." "…animals…poor innocents." "…love…married…children"

It was then that I truly understood what was happening; before it had been somewhat fuzzy. I knew what they were doing, but I didn't know why. Now I did.

I thought of my pa, he's always been so proud of me. I would have given anything to be safe in his arms again. Even Mother with her sharp tongue would have been welcome. Suddenly I missed her so much.

_At least I'll be married._ I couldn't help but think. _Though I don't think this is quite what she had in mind. _A fresh wave of tears came at this thought.

"Adam!" The youngest boy was yelling. "We forgot to get the parson!" I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. The calmer I tried to be, the more upset I got.

"Don't worry about it. Now go on into the kitchen. Nothing's gonna happen." Milly ushered us all into the cabin which now seemed very warm and inviting.

I followed the other girls with small steps, the rough wood catching on the woollen socks. _Warmth, _I sobbed in relief as we found our way into the kitchen. I immediately went to the stove and hovered over it, trying to get some feeling back into my hands and feet.


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright girls, sit down and I'll make us a nice cup of tea." Milly said calmly as she entered the kitchen. I moved slightly out of the way to give her some room and she put the kettle on the stove.

"You poor, poor girls." Milly murmured as she got cups out from the cupboard. "I just can't believe it. Just like a man." She huffed. The tea quickly came to a boil and she poured out the tea. I accepted mine gratefully, the warm cup warming my hands slightly. Sarah stood beside me, our backs to the warmth.

The tea soothed me a little bit and bit by bit I felt myself calming down enough to start thinking rationally.

"There's nothing like a nice hot cup of tea when you're all tuckered out." Milly said as she refilled our cups.

There was a knock at the door, and Gideon's voice called to us softly. "Milly? Milly it's me, Gideon. I've gotta speak to ya."

We all turned to Milly, horrified. "No Milly, please don't." I pleaded along with the others. To see even Gideon now would be unbearable.

Milly shushed us and went to the door. "What is it?" she called through the wood.

Gideon started talking about Adam leaving, and a part of me felt relieved. I knew that he was the ringleader. I saw it the barn-raising too. Gideon was pleading for Milly to go and talk to Adam. But Milly stood firm. As Gideon left I could feel myself relaxing again.

**-7-**

Milly showed us up the stairs and onto a little landing. "This here's where you'll be staying." She said as she opened the door.

The room was huge, but since there were six beds there it would have to be. This was obviously where the brothers slept.

"It's a good thing I just washed the sheets this morning. Oh look at this mess. I try not to disturb the room too much after all it is their private area, but honestly." Milly sighed as she started around the room, picking up shirts and other items that were lying on the floor. I stood there, watching her do this for a few seconds before it dawned on me that I should help. There were five beds along one side of the room, and a sixth on the opposite side.

I chose the bed nearest to the window and started making it. Milly had left the clean sheets neatly folded on top of each one. Mechanically I started tucking and smoothing. As I worked over one bed I noticed a small "B" faintly carved into the woodwork. Benjamin had obviously been bored one night. For a second I forgot about everything that had happened this night and smiled at the small letter. I stood up and looked around the room again.

The other girls had started to help too; each was making their own bed. Milly stood by the door, arms full of clothes with a satisfied look on her face. As I saw it, I realized what she was doing. Working had helped to ease the pain a little bit. It was still there, the homesickness, the fear and worry, but as I worked, my feelings were pushed to the back of my mind.

When I finished making my bed, I looked around for something else to work on. Near the bed I was working on and beside the window was a bureau. This obviously belonged to Benjamin, since it was nearest to his bed. I hesitated before opening it, and decided against it. In the corner was a chest, and beside it a chair. I sat in it and watched as the other girls stripped to their underclothes to sleep.

"Milly!" I cried and rushed across the room to the door. "What will I wear tomorrow? All I have is this nightgown."

"Come with me, Dorcas." She led me downstairs and past the kitchen into the laundry room. "Here we go." She picked up a gray flannel blanket and held it up for me. "Will this be enough?"

I eyeballed it and made some mental calculations. "Not for a full dress. It would be enough for a skirt though. But Milly, I don't want to go ruining your blankets."

She grabbed a few white sheets from another shelf and shushed me. "You can't go around in your nightclothes all winter, can you?" She turned around and opened a box. "Here are some buttons, some scissors, needles and thread. Will it be enough? Don't forget you'll have to make yourself some under-things as well."

"It's more than enough. Milly you're wonderful." I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"It's just plain common sense. Believe me, when you live with seven men, you _need_ it." She chuckled. She led me back to the main room and stoked the fire.

"You'd better do your sewing in here. The other girls are so tired and it's warmer in here." She emptied her arms onto the table. "Do you want me to stay up with you?" She asked softly.

"No, I'll be alright." I smiled gratefully at her. "You look tired too."

"Okay, Dorcas. Good night." She retreated up the stairs and I turned to the material in front of me.

**-7-**

I was woken by the smell of bacon and coffee. As I slowly woke up, I realized that I had fallen asleep on the sofa, my new clothes completed. I gathered up the clothes and started up the stairs to get changed.

The girls were still sleeping when I entered the room. I walked quietly over to my chosen bed and quickly changed into my newly-made clothes. They were very simple, with no frills or anything fancy, but at least I had something to wear.

I made my way back downstairs again and into the kitchen. Milly was calmly going about her work. The table was set and there were huge trays sitting there.

"Good morning, Milly." I said softly as I entered the room.

"Oh, good morning Dorcas." She smiled as she turned from the stove. "I'm just getting breakfast ready to take out to the boys. Do you want to help me?" She asked.

I squared my shoulders and raised my chin slightly. "Of course I can. I'm not going to let this get to me. After all," my voice softened. "The other girls are all very upset. I need to be strong for them, to show them that life goes on and that we might as well deal with it."

Milly smiled at me. "Good. I was hoping you'd feel like that. You know, when you first came to the town, we were unsure how well you'd adapt. Living in Oregon is different from the east. The men and especially the women have to be tougher."

"It was hard," I said as I started to put plates, forks and knives on the trays. "But I love it. When we lived in the east, all I ever did was play the piano, dance and sit there."

"Was there anyone special to you?" She asked as we started to fill up the tray.

"Not really. A few times I thought there might be, but somehow it always felt wrong." I stopped talking as I remembered dancing in Ben's arms, and how it felt so right.

"Dorcas, can I give you a little advice? I'll tell the others this too, but I think you're ready to hear it now. Don't be too hard on them. Everybody makes mistakes, and those boys look up to Adam like a god. I'm afraid that it really is my fault that you're here. I made a few comments, and Adam, being the _man_ that he is, came up with the ridiculous idea in the first place."

"Milly, there's no way you could have known what he would do." I comforted her. "We're going to be here for a long time. Last winter we didn't get a thaw until March, remember that? It's only September now. If we're going to be here for five months, I'd rather everybody be on good terms."

"You're right." She smiled at me as she covered the tray with a cloth to keep the snow off of it. "Now do you feel up to taking the trays to them, or do you want me to do it?"

"There are two trays, so we can each take one." I suggested. "Then we don't have to make two trips."

"Alright then," she opened the door and I grabbed a tray.

We trudged through the snow to the barn. Milly was leading, after all: they were her brothers.

"Come on now, up!" Milly yelled as she entered the barn door. They were all sitting down in a group.

"Milly!" Gideon yelled.

Milly calmly handed him a tray. Ben stepped forward to take mine from me. His hand brushed mine and I remember the feel of them as they grabbed me and held me quiet during that terrible ride last night. I practically threw it at him and he took a slow step back. I looked down at the ground.

"Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean I'm gonna let you starve to death." Milly said shortly. "Now I'm gonna tell you something for your own good. Don't you forget that those girls in there are hurt? You may not have hurt them physically, but by tearing them away from their families you've hurt them."

I couldn't take my eyes off the ground. I could feel his eyes on me. Milly turned around and I followed her slowly.

When we reach the barn doors I heard one of them say "Well Benjamin, looks like you're a step through that front door ahead of us."

I turned around, furious. I met the eyes of Ben and my own eyes narrowed. I turned on my heel and walked back to the house. If Benjamin Pontipee thought that I was going to forgive him so quickly, he had another think coming.


	10. Chapter 10

The girls were still in bed when we entered the kitchen. Milly sent me to go wake them up while she put more bacon on the stove. As I climbed the stairs, I felt my anger rising.

"Come on, girls. It's time to get up." I said in a loud voice. A few of them raised their heads groggily.

"What's the point?" Sarah murmured.

"Come on," I pulled the covers off of the nearest bed, revealing Ruth's rumpled blonde curls. "We've got to get up and show these guys that we're more than just objects that can be taken whenever they get the fancy to have a wife." I walked up and down the room.

"They're all out there thinking that this will all blow over soon; that after a few days we'll let them back in the house. We've got to show them that there are consequences for their actions and that we're people too, with wills of our own and that we're going to hold firm."

By this time the girls were sleepily climbing out of their beds and half-heartedly getting dressed.

"Come on, breakfast is almost ready." I turned and walked to the door. I stopped in the doorway and turned back. "Besides, we ought to think of Milly. With seven more mouths to feed, we need to help her as much as we can." With that, I left the room.

**-7-**

"Now girls, there's a lot of work to be done. I can use your help to get the cabin ready for winter." Milly bustled around the kitchen while she talked. I stopped chewing for a moment to marvel at her. "What with having 7 men to take care of, I haven't had much time to really get the place looking nice." She chuckled. "You should have seen the place when I first came. It was a pigsty. I've got most of it cleaned up, but for some reason I never seem to get any further along. Now that you're here you can help me with that. Are you girls willing to help me?" Milly asked as she sat down at the table and began eating her own breakfast.

I was silent, waiting for one of the others to speak for the group; I realized that it wouldn't do any good for me to speak for them. They needed to make the decisions for themselves.

"Sure Milly," little Alice spoke up.

"Oh course we'll help!" Sarah stood up and began clearing the dishes.

"Oh good. Girls, you have no idea now nice it is to see your faces. I've missed you all so much. Now, Martha and Liza, I want you to was the windows upstairs. Sarah and Alice, I want you to wash the windows downstairs. Ruth, you can do the dusting and Dorcas, can you please get the floors swept? I'm going to be doing laundry. Oh, Dorcas" she stood up and beckoned to me. I followed her to the small laundry room. She reached into her pocket and drew out a piece of orange cloth. When she handed it to me, I realized it was a small collar.

"Thank you, Milly!" I said as I affixed the collar. "It's perfect, just what my blouse needs."

She smiled at me and led me back to the kitchen.

**-7-**

I like sweeping. The rhythmic movements of moving the broom back and forth is very calming. I had tuned the outside world out when all of a sudden Ruth burst in the door, giggling.

"Ruth, what's wrong?" I wondered.

"The boys were shovelling near the house, probably hoping to catch a glimpse of us. Well I gave him more than a glimpse." She chuckled. "I pushed the snow off the windowsill at him. You should have seen the look on his face."

I couldn't help but smile a bit at this. "Well on one hand it serves him right. On the other, the boys _do_ need to do the outside chores around here. Shovelling around the house is one of those chores."

"I know," Ruthh sighed. "But just this once I needed to, just to show him that we're still mad and that even though we're so close to each other, we're still so very far apart." She trailed off with a dreamy look in her eye.

I raised an eyebrow and she snapped back. "What?" She huffed as she left the room.

I chuckled again and went back to my sweeping. I stopped again when she came back into the room.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Daniel and Ephraim were with Caleb and while they were laughing at what I'd done to Caleb, Martha and Liza poured their water on them. It was hilarious." She laughed and exited the room.

For the second time, I started to sweep again, but this time I was interrupted by my own thought. I went running off to find Milly.

I found her where she said she'd be: in the wash room. "Milly, just now Ruth told me about how she pushed the snow off the windowsill onto Caleb and how when Daniel and Ephraim were laughing at him Martha and Liza dumped the water from washing the window onto them."

"Dorcas, calm down and speak a little slower." Milly laughed.

"Well, to make a long story short, the reason I'm here is because Martha and Liza dumped water all over Daniel and Ephraim. I'm worried because it's cold and if they're wet they might get sick." I said frankly. "I was wondering if you could go and see if they're all right."

"Of course I will. Thanks for telling me. And don't worry about telling Martha or Liza. I know just what to say."

"You always do," I smiled and left the room.

I returned to the room I was sweeping and looked down at the pile of rubble. I quickly picked up a few pebbles and rushed to the living room where I found Alice and Sarah. "Girls, has Ruth been in here?"

"Yes," Sarah replied. "And we've got our basin of water all ready."

"Since we're on the ground floor, throwing the water and them would be trickier." I opened my hand to reveal the rocks. "I have a better idea."

The snow was cold, and our little stockpile of snowballs didn't melt fast. "I need to get back to my work." I said as I picked up a single snowball.

"How will you know when Benjamin comes?" Alice asked.

"Are you sure you only want one?" Sarah chimed in.

"I'll know, and I might not even need this one." I smiled as I left the room.

Would I throw a snowball at him? I honestly didn't know. I needed to do something to show him my anger, but another part of me didn't like the idea. I shrugged off the feelings and decided to go with my instincts at the time.

I swept slower, listening to any sounds that could be made by Benjamin. All of a sudden I froze. It was his laugh, and I could hear the rumble of his deep voice. Quickly I opened the door and threw.

I've always been told I have a good arm.

**-7-**

That night at dinner the girls were all in better spirits. They were laughing and talking about what they had done to the boys earlier that day. While they were eating, Milly and I left to deliver the boy's trays.

"I shouldn't have let you do this, Dorcas." Milly shook her head slightly. "You don't even have a coat on."

"Its okay, the shawl is helping quite a bit." The metal trays were making my hands feel ten times colder than they would have been normally, tucked under the shawl, which wasn't _really_ helping as much as I said it was.

"Well, we're almost there. I really do thank you, Dorcas."

"Milly, you're doing so much for us, this is the least I could do. And I want you to know that if you ever need anything I will always be ready to do it." I forced my cold lips to move upwards in a smile.

Milly shifted the tray she was carrying onto one hand and opened the barn door. We walked in and set the trays down on the bench. The men were nowhere to be seen.

"Now where are those boys?" Milly wondered. "I need to find out if Ephraim and Daniel are alright." I looked at her, surprised. "No, I waited before asking. I thought you might want to hear it for yourself. After all, it was your idea that they might get sick."

I turned around to look again and right in front of me was Benjamin.


	11. Chapter 11

I froze, startled because I hadn't heard him approach. Had he heard what Milly just said?

I looked down at my feet, feeling – what was I feeling? I was slightly scared, because once again I realized how big he is. Could he still be mad from that snowball?

"Daniel and Ephraim will be alright." I heard Ben's deep voice say. "The rest of them are out finishing up a few last minute chores."

"Well you'd better tell them to get back here before their dinner's cold. I'll be back to collect the trays in half an hour and whatever's not eaten is going with me. Come, Dorcas, our own dinner will be getting cold." She paused and looked at me sharply. "On second thought, maybe we'd better stay here for a while. You're still chilled. We'll wait until you're all warmed up again before heading back."

Ben also gave me a sharp glance. His scrutiny made me feel slightly uncomfortable. He put his hand on the small of my back and gently guided me towards the small wood stove that the brothers had set up in the corner where their cots were. I sat down on a little stool they had there. Ben picked up a blanket that was on one of the cots and gently draped it over my shoulders; he then walked over to Milly, who was standing a few feet away. Even though they spoke in lower voices, I was still near enough to hear it.

"Why doesn't she have a coat on?" Ben was angry.

"Because when you grabbed her, she was in her nightgown. She stayed up all last night just so that she'd have some clothes to wear today." Milly's response was sharp.

"Oh." Ben's voice sounded slightly guilty.

I stood up and turned around. "Really, I think I'll be fine. It'll be better once I'm actually back at the house and in front of a real fire."

Milly nodded and smiled. "Okay, Dorcas."

I started to follow her out the door, but stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back and saw Ben, an uncomfortable look on his face. "Here," he said, holding out a jacket. "Take this."

"I can't take your coat," I protested, thinking of what it would be like for him to work all day in the cold without it.

"It's the least I can do. I mean, when I took you I wasn't even thinking about clothes, or the cold or anything like that. I behaved like a fool. Please take it. I'll come to the house and get it tomorrow morning before starting the chores." He had an anxious look in his eye, and I knew that he was, in his very awkward way, trying to make things better between us.

I gave him a small smile. "How about you walk me back to the house, that way you can bring it back tonight? I know how cold it can get in the mornings."

"You're sure? I mean, it's alright?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm sure. Let's go," I took the proffered coat and slipped it on.

I'm a tall girl, taller than most, but even so his coat was huge on me. I wrapped it tightly around my chest and held my arm out to see that the coat sleeve went well beyond my hand. I chuckled slightly at this and smiled up at him. He was smiling too, and as we stood, smiling at looking into each other's eyes, I caught a wisp of that feeling that this was right. I hurriedly broke the glance.

"Come on, let's get you back," Ben murmured as we headed out the barn doors.

Snow was falling again, and I couldn't help but think that all of the boys' shovelling and hard work would be wasted with this new snowfall. I looked up to watch the snow fall down. It was so beautiful at night. The moon was peeking through a hole in the clouds. All around us the night was still. I sighed and closed my eyes, drinking in the peace.

I shook myself back and looked up at Ben, he was gazing at me with an odd look in his eyes, and I remembered that he didn't have a coat on. "I'm sorry, we'd better get going or you'll freeze to death."

"I don't mind," he said quietly.

When we reached the porch we stood there for a few moments. I slipped the coat off and immediately missed it. The coat had been comfortably worn-in. I could feel that it was a coat that had seen many hard years and yet was still as good as the day it was first made. I handed it to Ben and he slipped it on, wearing it as if it was a second skin.

"Well, good night," I said quietly.

"Good night," Ben replied and turned to go.

"Wait, Ben!" I called. He turned back to me and I paused. I took a few steps so that we were near each other once more. "I'm sorry about the snowball today." I apologized. "It was childish of me, especially the rocks."

"It's okay," Ben smiled. "It didn't really hurt that much."

"I just – I just needed to _do_ something, do you know what I mean?" I tried to explain myself, and was certain that I was making everything worse.

"Don't worry about it, Dorcas." I froze and realized it was the first time he'd called my by my first name. I felt a shiver go up my spine and I knew that it wasn't because of the cold. "And I'm sorry for taking you without your clothes or anything like that." He said awkwardly.

He didn't apologize for taking me, just for taking me without my things. I wasn't quite sure what to say to that and I told him so.

"It's okay, I know it's not much of an apology," he gave a small laugh and I smiled at him.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around tomorrow then." I said.

He gave me one last smile and went down the porch steps.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: The account of the Sabine Women I took from Wikipedia. It's under "The Rape of the Sabine Women" ('Rape' in those times just meant 'kidnap')**

**I apologize for the lapse in writing.**

**-7-**

That night Milly got out the quilt she had started working on. We all chose a seat and took a section. I ran the material through my fingers gently, and wondered how on earth Milly had thought she was going to be able to complete it herself. It was huge.

"Now girls," Milly said as she handed out needles, thread and patches. "Do you want to talk, or shall I read to you?"

"Read please, Milly," Alice said softly.

"Alright, the boys aren't much for reading, so there are hardly any books around here. The only ones that I know of are the ones that I brought with me: _Plutarch's Lives_ and the Bible."

"That sounds lovely, Milly." Sarah smiled as she started on her square.

Milly began to read.

The story she was reading was quite obviously the one that had inspired the brothers to come and get us. My hands and fingers were moving automatically as I stared into space, letting Milly's voice bring the story to life before my eyes.

_The Romans, spears upright, stopped to water their horses. They stopped, entranced by the vision of the women by the stream. They went on their way, unable to forget what they had seen. Their city was built, but the men were lonely. They needed wives._

_The stern commander, marching determinedly to the Sabine town, was ready to offer whatever he could. The stern Sabine men would have none of it. A trap, very clever, was sprung. The women were theirs!_

_*knock*knock*knock*_

The sound brought me back to my senses. _Who could it be? Which of them is it?_

It was Caleb, stammering out that it was cold and he needed a blanket. I smiled at him, and knew that behind me, Ruth was doing the same. It was adorable. I turned my attention back to the quilt, and Milly had just barely begun to read again, when there was another knock.

It was Ben! I couldn't help but smile at the way he said his name with confidence.

"What do you want?" Milly asked sharply.

He grasped his leg and explained that he needed some liniment. My smile fell. Was he really hurt? Something must have happened on the way back to the barn. As he limped forward, I realized that he was faking it. Once again I was all smiles, until Liza pushed me. I almost fell onto the floor; I was able to catch myself just before I did.

I couldn't take my eyes off him. He lingered a little bit longer than necessary over the medicine cabinet, and he quickly caught my eye. But he must have noticed that the other girls were watching too, because he quickly made his way back to the door.

After he left, I kept my eyes on the door. Why? What was I hoping for? I didn't know. Reluctantly I turned my eyes to the square before me. There was a third knock at the door.

I looked up hopefully. Was it him, bringing the liniment back?

It was Gideon, with his neck craned awkwardly to the side. As the door was opened wider, I could see the rest of the boys there too; all were hoping for a chance to get through those front doors.

Milly quickly shooed them away and started reading again. But I couldn't focus.

I stared dreamily out the window, hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of him.

What was it about him that made my heart leap in my chest?

**-7-**

The snow that started that evening never stopped. I never knew that time could pass so quickly, and yet so slowly at the same time.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I have to apologize! Not only have I been lack in updating, but when I originally wrote the story, I got two of the girls names mixed up!**

**For some reason, whenever I watched the movie, I thought that Ruth's name was Sarah and that Sarah's name was Ruth. Hence part of the reason that people have been mad at me for mixing couples up.**

**I've gone back and fixed this is all the previous chapters, as well as edited them a bit. Don't worry, the main points are there still.**

**I also want to write a bit about the timeline. This is part of the timeline that I've created for the movie:**

**August – Milly and Adam Married, Barn Raising**

**September**

**October – Kidnapping**

**November – Milly finds out she's pregnant.**

**With that said: on to the rest of the story!**

**-7-**

It had been two weeks since the kidnapping, now it was the middle of October. The snow had fallen steadily. The only good thing was that the snow was dry and light, easy to sweep and shovel.

We had fallen into a routine. Since there were seven of us, every day we rotated chores. That way one person wasn't stuck doing the same thing every day.

Milly had invited the boys in after supper, to spend a few hours inside, everyone together. There was a rather awkward silence as none of the boys dared to speak, and none of the girls wanted to speak to the boys. I could see by the look in her eye that Milly was determined not to say anything. She sat in the rocker with her sewing in her lap and glanced up occasionally.

Finally I couldn't stand the silence any more. "For goodness sakes," I exclaimed. "We're going to be here for several months, the least we can do is be civil towards each other."

I turned to Frank and asked "Is it usual for the snow to start this early? I've never spent a winter here, so I don't know what it's like."

He grinned in relief of having something to talk about. "Well, no. Usually the snow doesn't start until November, but we've been expecting a hard winter for a long time now. Luckily for us, that'll give us some time to catch up on some extra work that we haven't been able to get to during the rest of the year."

"Oh?" I wondered. "What do farmers do in the winter?"

I shifted my gaze to Caleb and leaned forward expectantly. This was part of my training from back east. We were all taught how to keep the conversation going. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ruth quickly look down at the floor.

"Lots of things: for one, winter's when we repair all of our tools and build new ones if we need them." Caleb spoke easily, but facing Ruth as if he were talking to her.

Ruth quickly looked up, "Caleb I want to thank you for shoveling the pathway to the well this morning. I really appreciated it." She blushed and turned her gaze downwards again.

"How are you girls for wood? Do you have enough for the next few days?" Gideon asked anxiously.

Alice smiled shyly "we have plenty for right now." Gideon's returning smile made me chuckle.

By this time the others had all started talking, softly and unsurely, but they were talking and that was a start. I sighed in satisfaction and, looking around the room, caught Ben's eye.

He wasn't talking to anybody, he was content to sit there and watch. He gave me a small smile which I returned.

It was enough for me, for then.

**-7-**

Any time you have six girls staying together things can get a bit… tense. When you have six girls staying together with hardly any room or any place to be private, then things are even worse.

To my shame, I found myself reacting to this just as much as the others. With Milly still doing the bulk of the work, there was a lot of free time on our hands.

But then we found out the joyous news. Milly was pregnant! We all promised her that she wouldn't have to do any work for the rest of the winter, but Milly is very stubborn. We were finally able to convince her to let us do the work while she supervised. She still did the bulk of the cooking, until we pleaded with her to give us cooking lessons.

Often I found my thoughts drifting to Ben, especially at night. I would lie in his bed, dreaming of the life we could have had together.

During our nights with the boys, I would often wonder what he was thinking. He hardly ever spoke, only when he was asked a direct question, which he answered in the fewest syllables possible. The little I learned from our conversation at the barn-raising piqued my curiosity. Every day I became more and more determined to find out just what the real Ben Pontipee was like. After all, if he wouldn't open up to anyone else, why shouldn't he confide in me?


End file.
